West Ham put in audacious £50million bids for Raphinha and Kalvin Phillips in the January transfer window and former Hammer Glen Johnson believes they should try again in the summer.
Leeds United rejected the approaches for the star duo leaving West Ham empty handed as the transfer window drew to a close but the Hammers interest has not ended. David Moyes decided against bringing in players to pad out the squad with the manager intent on only adding players that can challenge for starting spots to his group.
Johnson believes that West Ham should look to prise away Leeds United's key men again this summer but not as replacements for Declan Rice and Jarrod Bowen.
Rice has long been linked with a move away from the Hammers and Bowen's fine season has seen the England hopeful tipped for a move to Liverpool but Johnson has urged West Ham to keep both players at the London Stadium.
On the West Ham links with Raphinha and Phillips Johnson told bettingodds.com, "I’d be happy if West Ham signed both of them and kept hold of the other two.
"They need a deeper squad and if a move for Kalvin Phillips was to come off then that would be a great addition. He could play alongside Declan Rice no problem."
West Ham were also keen to bring Jesse Lingard back to London in January after his successful loan move last season, however, with Manchester United unwilling to strengthen a direct top-four rival the move collapsed. With Lingard remaining at Old Trafford Johnson feels like West Ham's chances of re-signing the former Hammer have now gone for good.
"It doesn’t look like a move to West Ham is going to happen. Since he went back to Manchester United, it never looked like a move was going to happen," Johnson added.
"The player never said he wanted to go, his club didn’t say they wanted him to go. If the player really wanted to go then it would have happened by now. I don’t think it’s going to happen. His contract is expiring and Newcastle are sitting poised, waiting to offer him something, so I can’t see him ending up at West Ham now."
